Media launch for school sport league programme

POLOKWANE – The department of sport, arts and culture has set aside a budget of R2,5 million for the district school league championships: R1,4 million for the provincial school sport championships and R10 million for the national school sport championships.

This was announced by the department’s general manager of sport and recreation, Kgathane Choshane during the launch of the school sport league programme at Bolivia Lodge on Friday.

Chosane said these leagues exposed learners to a variety of sport, enabling them to compete and grow.

“Limpopo obtained position six during the school sport national championships last year and aimed for the number one position this year,” she said.

Thirty-six schools have been identified as focus schools in sport and will be supported with equipment, attire and capacity-building programmes for learners with outstanding sporting performances.

“The objective of the launch of the school sport league programme is to create awareness at the beginning of the 2015 league games in Limpopo. More schools will be encouraged to register and participate in these leagues to ensure more learners are reached to compete in sport,” said Chosane.

The launch of the programme will also give the department of sport, arts and culture as well as the education department an opportunity to create their plans regarding the programme to level their standards up to national level,” she said.

“Eighteen sporting codes will form part of this year’s school sport national championships from December 10 to 16 in Pretoria, which will expose learners to a wide variety of sport. Furthermore, school sport leagues at circuit and cluster level are mostly completed and the top schools that have won at cluster level will represent their districts in the district school leagues championships which will take place in August.

The department is targeting 11 400 learners to participate in the district school leagues championships. It is confirmed that a total amount of 2 055 out of 3 950 schools have registered to participate in the school sport leagues.

From the district school leagues championships, the winning schools will move on to compete in the provincial school sport championships, which will take place at the Polokwane and Seshego sporting fields in September.

From the provincial school sport championships, the winning schools will go on to compete in the national school sport championships.